The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic pressure sensor for a vehicle, comprising a sensor housing, which has a fluid chamber, a sensor element for sensing the pressure of a fluid in the fluid chamber, and an electronic signal processing component, which is electrically connected to the sensor element and is intended for processing an electrical signal characteristic of the fluid pressure.
Hydraulic pressure sensors are used in many areas. Thus, for example, in the case of a hydraulic vehicle brake, an electronic control unit (ECU) activates a wide variety of components such as valves on the basis of the pressure in the fluid channels that is measured by the pressure sensor. The hydraulic pressure sensor is often a component part of a hydraulic control unit (HCU). It is of advantage in this respect if the interface between the pressure sensor and the ECU or between the HCU and the ECU can be designed as flexibly as possible, and the entire unit consisting of the HCU and the ECU has an overall height that is as small as possible.
Pressure sensors for measuring the fluid pressure often have a piezo-resistive element, the resistance of which changes when it undergoes deformation and is part of a resistance measuring bridge. A voltage difference between voltage dividers of the resistance measuring bridge is then a measure of the fluid pressure. The electrical signal representative of the fluid pressure, such as for example the voltage difference in the case of the resistance measuring bridge, is then usually passed on for further processing to an electronic signal processing component, such as for example an ASIC, and the further-processed signal is fed to the electronic control unit. It is of advantage in this respect if the interface between the pressure sensor and the electronic signal processing component, and also the interface between the electronic signal processing component and the ECU, can also be designed as flexibly as possible and has as little adverse effect as possible on the overall height of the unit consisting of the HCU and the ECU.
It is known to arrange and contact the electronic signal processing component on a separate printed circuit board. However, the possibility of limiting the height of the unit consisting of the HCU and the ECU is restricted by the signal processing component arranged and contacted on the separate printed circuit board because the printed circuit board with the electronic signal processing component projects beyond the hydraulic control unit and, as a result, the distance between the electronic control unit and the hydraulic control unit or the pressure sensor is limited to a minimum possible distance. The provision of an additional printed circuit board also entails additional costs.
US 2014/0137653 A1 discloses a pressure sensor, which has a plastic housing with a recess formed therein. Provided in the recess is a pressure transducer. Provided in the housing of the pressure transducer is a diaphragm, which adjoins a chamber that is formed in the housing of the pressure transducer and is in turn in fluid connection with an opening on the bottom of the recess of the plastic housing. Also arranged on the bottom of the recess of the plastic housing is a signal processing component, which is connected to the sensor element by means of connection wires. The signal processing component is in turn electrically connected by means of connection wires to conductive strips, which are attached to the bottom of the recess and extend through the plastic housing parallel to the bottom of the recess.
DE 10 2004 019 428 A1 discloses a semiconductor device which has a sensor chip with a pressure sensor. The sensor chip is embedded together with a device component that has an evaluation circuit in a covering of rubber-elastic material. External pressure fluctuations are transferred by way of the covering to the sensor chip 20, which detects them and passes them on to the device component by way of a wiring. Both the sensor chip and the device component are arranged on a wiring board with a wiring structure, and are connected to this wiring structure by way of bonding wires.
WO 01/23855 A2 discloses a pressure sensor device with a housing that is formed by a first housing part and a second housing part. The second housing part receives plug contacts, which are connected to a sensor element by way of electrical leads. The sensor element and the electrical leads are arranged in a cavity formed by the first and second housing parts. The sensor element comprises signal evaluation electronics, which transform the measuring signal into an output signal of the pressure sensor device, which can be picked up at the plug contacts.